Facilities and Services

Located just north of Gainesville, Florida, on a 110- acre ranch, the center is a multi purpose facility housing mainly old-world fruit bats, and designed for use by visiting scientists, veterinarians, educators and students. Conservation science research programs include studies in reproductive physiology, endocrinology, genetics, nutrition, behavior and enrichment to ensure the future of endangered fruit and nectar bat species in the wild and in captivity.

Fruit Bat Conservation The knowledge gained through research at the center will help scientists and conservationists address threats to the most seriously endangered fruit bat species by increasing our knowledge of feeding and breeding requirements, and through managing captive populations to maintain genetic diversity to ensure their long-term survival. It will help educators provide information about the key ecologic and economic role that fruit and nectar bats play in human communities around the globe.

The Center’s research and training programs are managed by Director, Dr. Allyson Walsh, who is working to establish international programs that will take the center’s science from the lab to the field, and Center Manager/Animal Curator Brian Pope, who specializes in animal care and behavioral studies.

Fruit Bat Conservation Educational facilities include a dedicated education room for talks and displays for children, and the use of Woods Haven Field Center for workshops/meeting, plus overnight stays.

Animals are maintained by a highly qualified keeping staff. Lubee is a USDA registered research facility and also Certified member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, but is not open to the public on a regular basis Veterinary staff and services are provided by the University of Florida's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

Fruit Bat Conservation The center maintains modern facilities for research and captive study of fruit and nectar bats. Bats are housed in specially designed facilities, including temperature-controlled roost quarters and outdoor circular flight enclosures. Food preparation and food distribution facilities include a kitchen, freezers, and walk-in cold storage. Veterinary facilities include an examination room, equipped for anesthesia and recovery rooms with incubator and isolation facilities.

Standard laboratory equipment available for use by researchers include: refrigerators, freezers, microscopes, balances, centrifuge, and night vision video equipment. A small library, which holds many important references, is available to Conservancy staff and resident investigators. The center additionally maintains a tissue bank. Requests for samples and forms to conduct research at Lubee are available on the Sevices- Research Services page.

Woods Haven Retreat Center

Fruit Bat Conservation - Woods Haven Retreat Center Overnight housing is available at Woods Haven, a ranch style house once lived in by Luis Bacardi, for scientists and graduate students who conduct research on bats housed at Lubee, and for visitors attending training or education workshops and meetings/retreats. Woods Haven has accommodation available for a maximum of 9 researchers/students at any time (4 bed/3 bath). Woods Haven Retreat Center also has a large meeting room suite (one main room of 760 sqft, plus two smaller break out rooms) to accommodate workshops/meetings/retreats of up to 30 people with DSL wireless internet access. In addition to bedrooms and meeting rooms, the house has a fully equipped kitchen/ dining room/living room, an indoor unheated swimming pool, old tennis courts, gas BBQ, and is set in back from the main bat facility on its own 4-acre tranquil wooded grounds.